Everyone Else is a Returnee

Painful cries resounded within the perimeter and around the border of Yu IlHan’s mansion grounds

“Kiaaaaaak”

“Kugagagak!”

“Kahak! Kihiiii!”

Would hell on Earth, be like this?

A variety of monsters, over a hundred just by species, were executed in various ways.

“Kihiiiiiik!”

The moment the land monsters crashed against the fences to destroy it, the fences absorbed their mana and transformed it into heat.

50% of the courageously charging monsters dropped out here, and the others who tried to destroy the fences with skills dropped out soon after as the fences spat out even more fire by using the mana from the skills.

“Khiiiiii…..!”

By now, even brainless monsters would realise that coming into contact with the fence would be dangerous. Of course, this applied to only the extreme minority, and the rest had already been vapourised after crashing into the fence!

“Kuhaaaaaaah!”

In any case, the monsters that felt the impending crisis spun their heads a little instead of charging recklessly. The answer they came up with was jumping! Whether it was stepping off another monster’s back, or leaping over the fence with their own leg power, they thought of various ways to get over the fence. It was an extremely reasonable judgement.

“Kuoooooh!”

And the moment the ‘cleverer’ monsters landed inside the grounds, the 2nd wall inside the ground shot up and pushed them back into the pits of fire!

“Gakukkagagagak!”

“Kihak!”

The other half of the monsters were ground apart here. By the way, there was a 3rd wall, so the ones who could step into the mansion grounds either had enormous leaping ability or were aerial monsters in the first place.

“It sounds horrifying if I ever have to attack this fortress.”

“Well, thanks to that the monsters we have to face were reduced by a very large number.”

The elves who rushed out to the garden while mentally preparing themselves to fight against thousands and tens of thousands monsters in the horde, watched the monsters dropping out of the preliminaries and thought that Yu IlHan was a frightening man.

However, the walls and fences were just the beginning. The artifacts disguised as trees or grass in the garden grabbed and snipped at the passing monster’s ankles, or suffocated them while emitting extreme poison and as a result, their numbers decreased even more.

Even a beautiful-looking flower shot petals at monsters that approached it! Of course, the petals were made of 4th class monster’s bones. 2nd class monsters would not be able to avoid death, and even 3rd classes would receive fatal injuries.

“Master is truly great!”

“His Majesty’s so cool!”

“Dad was cool from the beginning!”

Any ordinary person couldn’t help but be in shock, but despite that, Yu IlHan’s subordinates only exclaimed in excitement at the prospects of their (great and glorious) leader. However, their leisurely attitudes slowly came to a stop. The monsters who managed to approach the garden despite facing all those traps had to be the stronger ones.

“You shall not step inside the mansion!”

“Kihaaaaaah!”

“Kyaak!”

While Paté, who was in charge of the aerial monsters, shot arrows into the air, the rest of the subordinates including Ericia and Yumir, battled against the stronger 3rd class monsters.

A fun and enjoyable mansion defense! Everyone’s experience was rising at a quick rate.

As the mana absorbed by Bittersweet Persona increased more and more, not to mention the nearby cities, monsters over all of Korea charged towards it after feeling that enormous amount of mana. The clans in Korea were shivering in fear, not knowing what was happening, but no one was there to tell them what was really happening.

And Yu IlHan, who was controlling the Bittersweet Persona in his study, was currently in a very difficult situation.

[You have earned 6,284,485….]

[You have earned the record of Lv 108 Twin-headed snake.]

[You have earned 4,586,100….]

[You have earned the record of Lv 104 Ultra Monkey.]

[You have…….]

[You have…….]

“My head hurts enough already but now even my eyes hurt with all these notices!”

[You even get the experience from the ones that died in traps!?] (Liera)

Shouted Liera in shock, but Yu IlHan snorted even while grabbing onto his aching head.

“Humans advance.”

Well, yes. Before, he had confirmed that no records and experience would be gained from the deaths resulting from pre-installed traps or landmines. However, since he knew, there was no way he would repeat that mistake!

“These are not traps. It’s the fortress that I’m directly in control of. To put it, I’m grinding monsters by swinging this massive fortress as my weapon.”

[Even though one would usually think about moving themselves if pre-installed traps don’t work, but he even found a way to gain experience from it!] (Liera)

[That’s one scale, alright.] (Spiera)

Like how installed landmines would not give experience if it killed the monster, but how thrown grenades would give experience if that killed a monster, if Yu IlHan directly activated the traps and the options in the fortress, their records would be transferred to Yu IlHan. He had implemented the fortress to be like that in the first place.

“Of course, records of 2nd class monsters have no meaning to me, so I’ll let the Bittersweet Persona absorb it. With this, it grows and I grow. Killing two bird with one stone.”

He wished that he could soul enchant a thought to take care of the Bittersweet Persona, but unfortunately, Yu IlHan didn’t possess a thought that was on the same league as a chaos-ranked artifact. He thought that maybe higher existences would.

[You have…….]

[You have…….]

“If monsters keep coming like today, then I might be able to level up once.”

[I won’t be surprised. I definitely won’t be!] (Erta)

More and more monsters gathered towards the mansion, almost as if all monsters in the world were attracted to it. There were thousands of aerial monsters in the air, comparatively, the flood of monsters on the land were more than ten times in number. The screeches resounded like an orchestra, with Yu IlHan as the conductor .

The clans in Korea also realized that monsters were currently gathering towards one place, but as no one had the courage to charge towards more than ten thousand 3rd class monsters. The clan members could only watch while sucking on their thumbs.

That didn’t mean that they had nothing to do. Currently, Earth was a monster haven. If the Earthen and aerial monsters aimed for Yu IlHan’s mansion, they left them to do as they wished, and they confronted the sea monsters surrounding the Korean peninsula.

“Guooooooooh!”

“It’s a giant squid! I repeat, giant squids! More than 100!”

“Everyone charge! Today’s snacks is lightning-fried squids!”

The monsters that crawled out of the sea outnumbered the number of sand grains on the beach. This was discounting the fact that the Traps of Destruction scattered by the angels had entrapped more than half of the monsters real-time.

[We’ve received a report.] (Spiera)

Just as Yu IlHan was defeating the monster horde by controlling various things in his study, Spiera spoke with a slight sigh.

[Although we did expect this to a certain extent, I think that the Traps of Destructions scattered over Earth are not catching up to the magnitude of the monster wave.] (Spiera)

[However, the efficiency should have risen after we let Yu IlHan create the Traps of Destructions?] (Erta)

[I meant that even the increased efficiency is incapable of catching up.] (Spiera)

It wasn’t like this situation was abnormal. Traps of Destructions, were, in the end, just to prevent monsters from covering the entirety of the world, not an absolute device that put all monsters inside dungeons.

Originally, it was quite common to see a portion of a world being covered with monsters after every Great Cataclysm. At times like these, the intelligent species of that world would select zones that had to be protected no matter what while sacrificing others to the monsters. Like that, the monster zones and would be differentiated from the inhabited zones.

How good would it be if it was possible to kill or entrap all monsters into the dungeon? However, that was no more than a delusion. All worlds now, sacrificed the habitable zones little by little.

However, due to Yu IlHan’s desperate attempt, the average level of the people of Earth increased dramatically, and the functionality of the Traps of Destruction also increased drastically.

Also, Yu IlHan himself had created a weapon of mass destruction known as Bittersweet Persona, in preparation for the 2nd Great Cataclysm, so it was instead the monsters that were in a pitiful situation, not the humans that tried to protect Earth!

As such, the angels kinda expected that the people of Earth would perhaps manage to protect Earth while overcoming the 2nd Great Cataclysm, but…….

[Not to mention 2nd Great Cataclysm, the number and level of monsters appearing is closer to a 3rd Great Cataclysm. Don’t you feel it as well? Originally, there is no way there would be so many 3rd class monsters.] (Spiera)

[At this point, I’m even wondering if Earth is walking in a different path of evolution than all other worlds…… If so, we of Heaven will only be able to give you only limited help.] (Erta)

The angels’ voices sounded slightly helpless. However, Yu IlHan consoled them with a bright smile.

“Nah, it’s alright. I put away any kind of expectations I had of you guys after I dropped out.”

[From the time you dropped out!? That means you never had any at all!] (Erta)

He shrugged his shoulders after hearing that.

“The word ‘Expectations’ is rooted in giving up. Expecting something of others means that I myself do not have the ability to solve it myself.”

[And where did you hear that?] (Erta)

“I had no one to rely on until now. And so, I could only do everything myself while crying.”

[And another sad story!] (Erta)

“So be quiet and watch.”

Yu IlHan touched on the monitor. At that moment, mana was concentrated in the scene in the monitor, and reacted with the surrounding artifacts to cause an explosion, killing hordes of monsters.

Even the process of reclaiming the consumed mana from the dying monsters was perfect.

[You have…….]

[You……..]

A series of green text filled his retina.

Although this explosion was an extremely strong one, capable of damaging even 4th classes, if there was any drawbacks, it was that the mana vibrations were too big and caused a wide-area aggro. Naturally, all monsters nearby, within the borders of the country, in the sea, in the air, and even in neighbouring countries noticed the burst of mana.

However, Yu IlHan did not stop there. He activated all the sniping devices installed inside and outside the mansion ground while emitting mana!

Looking at Yu IlHan who was causing a massacre-festival by consuming his own mana, the angels hugged each other in fear!

[Yu IlHan, are you insane? It wouldn’t end with just a hundred thousand!] (Spiera)

“That’s what I want.”

Replied Yu IlHan, his lips curved into a smile.

“I said I can’t rely on others, didn’t I? That’s why, I could only wipe everything out myself.”

[So such a mutant…thing… is born when a loner meets extra time and talent.] (Spiera)

[You have…….]

[You have…….]

As if to delete all the green text that covered his eyes, he activated the options on the fortress again. Monsters died in hordes again. Of course, As Yu IlHan’s subordinates were still in action at that time, the actual number of deaths numbered even more.

And at one moment, the mana ejected from countless dying monsters overlapped again and again to create a huge mana vortex inside Yu IlHan’s mansion ground as well!

Everyone screamed after looking at that.

[That, looks like a concentration of mana, but it’s actually closer to a naturally generated gate! How can a gate…..!](Liera)

[Oh my, I received a report! Mana vortices are being generated worldwide, and if a person that fulfilled certain criteria imbues mana into it, it explodes and a gate connecting the world he or she went t, appears…..! Erta, you were right! Earth is developing in its own way!] (Spiera)

“Uoooooooooooh!”

Yu IlHan, who didn’t listen to the angels’ words, thought that it was the signs of an Overflow, like the others, and clicked on the monitor like mad.

All the mana inside the mansion gathered in the vortex and caused explosions. It was an explosion caused from an absurd amount of mana that no one on Earth could use right now! The nearby monsters all vaporized as well. Even his subordinates had to retreat.

The vortex couldn’t endure it until the end and caused a massive explosion! What everyone else on Earth couldn’t do, was achieved by Yu IlHan!

[?????????????????? experience.]

[???????? records of Lv ??? ???????]

[You have become level 146. 3 Strength, 2 Agility, 2 Health, 2 Magic increases.]

On the place where the vortex exploded, there was nothing, not to mention a gate. Just that, the absurd amount of overlapped mana lost their force and went in control of the mansion, and completely refilled the consumed mana.

Yu IlHan was satisfied that he prevented an Overflow, but tilted his head after a series of question marks filled his retina.

“Huh? Although I did have a lot of experience piled up, what did I just kill to level up twice? No matter how great the explosion was, there should be a limit to the damage, so I can’t kill 4th class monsters with it……. Moreover, what’s up with all these corrupt letters? Is the Akashic Record bugged up or something?”

[…….]

[…….]

[…….]

The angels all stared at Yu IlHan. Yu IlHan tilted his head again, and the angels gave up. Nothing would come out of them interrogating Yu IlHan.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

[Cuz you’re handsome. If you don’t like it then stare at me too.] (Erta)

“Well, if you say so……”

The moment new history was being written on Earth, human history was being written anew.

The mansion defense continued.

For the chaos from the 2nd Great Cataclysm to die down, a little more time was needed.

Author’s notes

‘Expectation’ is a word rooted in giving up : A famous line from “the database” Fukube Satoshi from the Classic Literature Club series(T/N: Hyouka). A Japanese novel, written by Yonezawa Honebu, and it takes a slightly different style, an everyday mystery. It’s a piece I really like. There’s an animated version, so if you have the opportunity, please watch!

I’ll say this again, but Earth is walking its own path.

The mana explosions caused by the power of Bittersweet Persona, is strong enough to wipe out 3rd classes and injure 4th classes, but speaking in reverse, it means that it is very hard to kill 4th class monsters just with the explosions. It’s not a matter of quantity, but quality.

A warning here, although it’s mentioned in the chapter, the reason the people could not erase the vortices is due to the lack of firepower. If they could gather enormous amount of mana and explode it, then they would also be able to erase the vortices and gain experience.

But then, what if IlHan’s mana is insufficient……?

Translator’s notes

PR: Your friendly neighbourhood PR is going to be overseas (without laptop…) from 26th may to 4th june, Chamber nim will handle the posting in that period :^)